'Mother Seetha' Arrested for Torturing Minor Girl in Exorcism Attempt

 The suspect, who allegedly beat a 16-year-old girl with a cane and burned her with hot embers, claiming to exorcise a demon with divine power, has been taken into Horowpathana Police custody. A woman known among locals as "Mother Seetha," who claimed to possess an extraordinary ability to heal patients with divine power,

has been arrested by Horowpathana Police following accusations of subjecting a sixteen-year-old minor girl to extremely severe and inhumane torture. 

Considering the gravity of this crime, it has become necessary for the entire public to once again focus attention on the immense suffering inflicted upon innocent individuals, especially children, due to the superstitions and blind faith still deeply rooted in our society.

According to an official statement issued by the Horowpathana Police, the suspect in this incident is forty-five years old and a permanent resident of the Kapugollewa area, which falls under the Horowpathana Police division. This woman had established and maintained a shrine in a separate room in her house, claiming to possess an extraordinary ability to cure various ailments with divine power. It is reported that due to this publicity, many people from nearby and distant areas visited this location seeking solutions for various health problems.

The sixteen-year-old girl affected by this incident is a resident of the Pihimbiyaagollewa area, which falls under the Medawachchiya Police division. The girl's parents had taken her to this location hoping to cure a health issue she had, believing in the divine power of the woman known as "Mother Seetha." This incident clearly highlights that despite advancements in modern medicine, such blind beliefs are still deeply rooted in rural areas. After examining the girl, the suspect informed her parents that their daughter was possessed by a demon. Frightened and distressed by this statement, the parents accepted it and granted the suspect permission to exorcise the "demon."

What followed was horrific and inhumane. As revealed during police investigations, the suspect, appearing to be in a trance, severely beat the minor girl with a cane. 

Not stopping there, she used a heated iron rod to inflict severe burn injuries on several parts of the girl's body. The suspect claimed all these actions were taken to expel the alleged demon from the girl's body. However, medical examinations have confirmed that the physical and psychological trauma inflicted on the innocent girl by these acts is extremely severe. The girl's parents later lodged a complaint with the Horowpathana Police regarding this horrific incident. Based on the complaint received, the police took immediate action and conducted a detailed investigation, which resulted in the arrest of the woman known as "Mother Seetha." Police confirm that the victimized girl has been admitted to Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital for further medical treatment. This incident reveals a dark aspect of the dangerous superstitions that still prevail in rural areas of Sri Lanka. 

While concepts such as healing diseases with divine power and demon possession have historically existed in our culture, using such beliefs to harm innocent individuals, especially children, is a serious crime. In an era where modern medicine offers effective treatments for many ailments, resorting to such primitive methods of treatment is highly risky. Organizations and experts working on child abuse prevention point out that it is deeply regrettable that children have to face such dangerous experiences due to the blind faith of their parents. They emphasize that community-level awareness programs are essential to prevent such incidents. Furthermore, legal experts suggest that imposing strict penalties on those who commit such acts will help prevent similar incidents in the future.